Screen Time
I’ve spent a lot of time monitoring my screen time over the last year. To the surprise of nobody, I stare at this black mirror quite a bit. I assume we all do.
I’ve toyed with deleting the social apps. I recently added 20min app-limits. But I still find myself doing something on the phone whenever I find a free second throughout my day. I don’t want to be bored - I want to always consume content.
I’ve also been noticing that my ability to focus, specifically later in the day, is virtually nonexistent. From roughly 6am to 6pm I have some sort of stimulus entering my brain. Music, books, newsletters, Tweets, YouTube, emails, podcasts, Instas, Twee- you get the point.
This isn’t healthy. I’m willingly short-circuiting my brain the minute I get bored, and wait to be told what to think about.
I don’t know if this is a novel connection, but this made me think about how we interact with food. The relationship between our food diet and content diet is very similar.
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Food Diet -> Content Diet
Our bodies need nutrients to survive. Some active individuals need more carbohydrates than the inactive. Some feel better on fruit, some on Chipotle. But as we take a look at our food diet, we can see how our bodies react to the different inputs over time, and the impacts that these have.
Our brain needs stimulants to think. The content we consume are the nutrients for our thoughts.
How we endeavor to take care of our bodies by carefully monitoring what we eat, when we eat, and how much we eat, we need to do for our brains. In the words of the great Marshawn Lynch, “take care of y’all chicken.”
It’s different for each of us, but let’s look at a general approach:
Eating all day is the same as consuming content all day.
If you slowly stuff yourself with eggs, muffins, and Kind bars from 6am to 6pm you’re going to have a bad day. Your body can’t process that much food, and all of the energy it has will go towards breaking everything down.
If you slowly consume content all day from 6am to 6pm, you’re going to have a bad day. Your brain can’t process that much information, and all of the energy it has will go towards breaking everything down.
Quality of food you eat is equal to the quality of content you consume.
McDonald’s breakfast and 3 eggs from your stove-top are not the same.
Reality TV and a podcast about your industry are not the same.
Digestion is Action.
Eating all day leaves no time for your body to process the nutrients. You have to work it off.
Reading all day leaves no time for your mind to apply the knowledge. You have to work it through.
Social Media is Dessert.
Dessert is good every now and then. Social can be a great tool too. But just like ice cream and magic shell every Thursday isn’t good for your gut, neither is compulsively checking Twitter for notifications that aren’t there. (note to self)
Even within social media, some accounts give you ideas, some accounts give you drama. A “timeline audit” can help clear your mind even when you choose to use social. Think of this video below from the great James Clear and Polina Pompliano. “Follow the right people, automate good thoughts.”
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Action Items
I don’t know what we should do, and I’d love to hear what you do. But right now, this is what I’m trying. I’m working on three things to help me think deeper, and better utilize my content diet.
Take walks
No phone, no time limit, I don’t go far, but it’s good to turn the brain off for a bit and let it wander to the beat of your feet.
Be bored
This is the hardest. I reach for the phone if I haven’t been engaged with in roughly ~5 seconds. Allowing myself to sit with an empty page and just write my thoughts, or play on Photoshop, or throw a ball with my dog help me reach that creative side that sits below the usual “always on” version of myself.
Deep Breaths
This might be the easiest one, but one that might not work for most people. Basically, when I catch myself reaching for the phone with no real intention (just checking to see if I have any notifications) then I take 3 deep breaths. 3 in 3 out.
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Final Thoughts
It is absolutely wild how much content is out there. Even for someone like me who is captivated by the creator economy, I think that most of us spend too much time consuming and too little time thinking. Maybe you can share your ideas in the comments below, or share this for someone else to see – but either way – I hope you end your day with a walk and not scrolling Twitter.